LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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B175-1115-14m 

BULLETIN 

OF THE 

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 

1915: No. 66 



NOVEMBER 25 



1915 



Schoolhouse Meeting 



Discussion of 



Poultry on the Farm 



Prepared by 

T. J. CONWAY 

Assistant Professor of Poultry Husbandry in the Agricultural 
and Mechanical College of Texas, and 

C. P. BLACKWELL 

Instructor in Agricultural Education in 
The University of Texas 




Published by the University six times a month and entered as 
second-class matter at the postomce at 

AUSTIN, TEXAS 






c^ 



£ 



The benefits of education and of 
useful knowledge, generally diffused 
through a community, are essential 
to the preservation of a free gov- 
ernment. 

Sam Houston. 



Cultivated mind is the guardian 
genius of democracy. . . . It is the 
only dictator that freemen acknowl- 
edge and the only security that free- 
men desire. 

Mirabeau B. Lamar. 



B # of D* 
JUL 1 1918 



To the Chairman of the Schoolhouse Meeting: 

The discussions of the questions given below have been pre- 
pared for the meeting to be held at the schoolhouse on Friday 
afternoon and are for the use of the person who conducts the 
meeting. Usually it will be best to have the questions written 
upon the blackboard before the meeting opens. When the time 
for discussion arrives, first have the question read aloud and 
then call for discussion from the members present. Occasion- 
ally the chairman should call out someone whom he knows to 
be well qualified to answer the question. At times it is well 
to let such person know several days in advance that he or she 
will be called upon so that special preparation may be made 
by study of some of the bulletins referred to in the bibliography 
or of other literature. As soon as discussion has brought out 
whatever of interest the members present may know, then have 
read the discussion of the question that is given below, and, 
if desirable, allow discussion of that. Good judgment must 
be used by the chairman in calling out discussion and in 
stopping it before it becomes unprofitable. At times it would 
be well to omit or pass lightly over certain questions and con- 
centrate on others. Be sure to stop before the members are 
tired and always try to have the ideas that are brought out 
applied to the local conditions and needs. When a meeting 
results in a desire to carry out some practical plan, arrange 
for those interested in this plan to remain after the meeting and 
take the necessary steps at once. Strike while the iron is hot. 



Fellow Teacher and Fellow Citizens: 

The topic to be discused today is one of the highest importance 
for the prosperity of Texas farms. We have not yet begun to 
take poultry raising seriously in Texas. With our mild winters 
and continuous green throughout the year, Texas is far better 
situated for poultry raising at a minimum of both cost and labor 
than Missouri or Illinois or New York, where snow and ice covers 
the ground for many months each year and poultry must have 
expensive houses, and be fed its entire ration for six months in 
the year. Yet the farms in these States are making millions 
each year on poultry, whereas, Texas farms hardly produce 
enough for their home tables. Furthermore, the number of 
fowls on the farms in Texas actually decreased from 1900 to 1910 
from 15 million to 14 million, while the fowls in Oklahoma in- 
creased from 5 to 9 million, in Kansas from 13 to 16 million, in 
Missouri from 16 to 21 million. Still worse, our poultry is of 
much lower grade, the average value per fowl in Texas being 36 
cents, as against 44 cents in Oklahoma, 47 cents in Kansas and 57 
cents in Missouri. 

If one does his own rough carpentering he can build for about 
twenty dollars a poultry house large enough to accommodate a 
hundred hens in accordance with the plans in this bulletin. The 
fountain feed-hoppers and watering devices can be made for a 
few cents out of an old goods box. With this equipment, and 
with the planting of a succession of small patches of wheat, oats, 
rape, turnips, chard, beets, sunflowers, Egyptian wheat, milo or 
similar crops, the poultry can be raised at almost no expense but 
the labor. This labor is all light and can be done by children and 
by adults at odd hours. Think of what it would mean if every 
farm home in Texas would build up a flock of a hundred good 
hens. If these hens laid nine or ten dozen eggs each per year, 
the eggs would bring, at 25 cents per dozen, ninety-six million 
dollars, besides leaving enough eggs for hatching to keep up the 
supply of hens and sell off each year ten million dollars worth 
of surplus roosters and culled hens. This sum is more than 
half the value of our cotton crop and could be secured without 
decreasing that crop a single bale. Let us awake to our oppor- 
tunity. 



Dismission of Poultry on the Farm 5 

The main obstacles to success in poultry raising thus far in 
Texas have been the use of scrub stock and the ravages of in- 
sects. Unless these problems are met properly, failure is cer- 
tain, for scrub poultry covered with mites, lice, or blue bugs will 
not pay for its keep. The discussion in this bulletin will show 
how these difficulties may be overcome. The methods of handling 
poultry here given have been worked out by the best trained 
scientists and tried out in successful actual experience for years 
by practical poultry raisers, so that there can be no doubt that if 
these directions are carefully followed out success must result. 

Let us begin to recognize poultry raising as one of the most 
profitable side lines on our farms, and put ourselves in position 
to profit from it. 

Not only is poultry raising profitable, but it is a fine thing for 
the development of a boy. It is good for a boy to have some- 
thing of his own to care for, and something to give him a little 
income of his own. The daily attention to his poultry, the study 
of bulletins and books on the subject, the working out of his 
plans and overcoming his difficulties develop his intelligence and 
his character. It is equally as good for a girl. There are hun- 
dreds of thousands of boys and girls on Texas farms that would 
develop themselves and the poultry industry of Texas at the 
same time if encouraged properly to do so. Let us give them 
a chance. 

A. CASWELL ELLIS. 



SCHOOLHOUSE MEETING 

DISCUSSION OF POULTRY ON THE FAUM 1 

QUESTIONS 

1. Name some advantages that poultry offers for supplying 
the farm home with cheap meat, and some advantages of poul- 
try raising in general. 

2. For the person who has no poultry at all, suggest some 
good methods of getting started. 

3. What breeds of chickens are best adapted to this locality 
for egg and meat production? 

4. Why should the farmer keep but one breed ? 

5. What is the smallest size flock a farm should have? 

6. Name three systems of poultry farming which may be 
successful on a general farm or a poultry farm. 

7. When is an incubator desirable ? 

8. Discuss the care of baby chicks for the first 48 or 72 
hours after hatching. 

9. Discuss the proper management of young chicks after the 
first 48 or 72 hours. 

10. What are capons? 

11. What are the advantages of caponizing? 

12. Give some practical suggestions for the housing of 
chickens in Texas. 

13. Discuss plans and specifications for a house that will 
accommodate 100 hens. 

14. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of allowing 
hens to run on the open range. 

15. How may poultry diseases best be prevented? 

16. Name some means by which diseases may be spread 
among fowls and give some general methods of combating any 
contagious disease that may chance to break out among your 
chickens. 



ir rhe authors are indebted to Mrs. Benigna G. Kalb, Governor of 
Texas Farm Women, for helpful suggestions in the preparation of 
this bulletin. 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 7 

17. What insects are troublesome in your community, and 
how may they be combated? 

18. What is a good food ration for baby chicks? 

19. What food is best for the production of eggs? How 
would you modify this ration to fatten fowls? 

20. (a) How would you secure a pure-breed flock that 
averages ten to twelve dozen eggs per hen per year? (b) What 
are some of the points to be observed in selecting laying stock? 
(c) What are some of the points to be observed in egg produc- 
tion? 

21. How can you have your hens lay in winter when the 
price of eggs is high? 

22. (a) How often should eggs be gathered? (b) How 
may infertile eggs be secured, and why are they preferable to 
fertile eggs? 

23. What is meant by candling or egg-testing? How may 
a simple and inexpensive egg-tester be made? 

24. How may spring eggs be preserved for winter use? 

25. What are some of the causes of infertile eggs? How 
should eggs be selected for hatching. 

26. Name some factors to be considered in marketing eggs. 



ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 

No. 1. tf (l) It requires only a small amount of land and 
capital. (2) It offers quick and paying returns; first, in eggs 
and meat for the table; second, in cash which may be had from 
the surplus every month in the year. (3) Eggs have the same 
kind of food value as meat; they offer a cheap substitute for 
it, and when properly cooked are more easily digested than 
meats; and they are better food for growing children. (4) 
Poultry requires less food in proportion to the return than any 
other form of live stock. (5) With proper equipment, it re- 
quires comparatively little time and labor, and, in the mild 
climate of Texas, but very little expense for housing. (6) It 
is a healthful occupation and is well adapted to either sex. 
(7) Poultry utilizes many of the waste products about the 
place and contributes much valuable fertilizer to the soil. (8) 
It is the most convenient source of fresh meat. (9) The 
products can be marketed easily and at all seasons of the year. 
(10) It enriches the soil. (11) It distributes the labor 
throughout the year and furnishes work that all members of 
the family can help with. (12) It is suited to either country 
or village conditions. 

No. 2. (1) Buy a few pure-bred birds of the breed pre- 
ferred. These need not be high-priced show birds, but should 
be from healthy, heavy-laying stock. A combination egg and 
meat breed is usually best for the farm, though as a rule one 
will do best with that variety he or she personally likes best. 
There are many good breeds. Good hens should lay not less 
than ten to twelve dozen eggs per year. It shows poor 'busi- 
ness judgment to keep hens that average much less, though the 
average for Texas is probably less than forty eggs per hen per 
year. Hens that have passed their first year of laying are 
better breeders than pullets, though well matured pullets may 
be used if older birds cannot be had. It is better to mate a 
well matured cockerel with hens. It is also important that the 
male come from a strain of heavy egg producers, as heavy lay- 
ing is a quality which may be transmitted through the male as 
well as the female. (2) If unable to buy pure-bred birds, you 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 9 

may start with ordinary healthy chickens, and later buy one 
or more sittings of eggs from healthy, pure-bred hens, hatching 
them under the common hens. When matured, this new stock 
should be kept separated from the mixed stock, and the latter 
gradually disposed of, so as to leave only the pure-bred on the 
yard. If this separation is not practicable, kill or sell all 
males except those of pure breeding before the pure-bred pul- 
lets begin to lay, and later dispose of the birds of mixed breed- 
ing as soon as you can raise pure-bred hens to take their place. 
This method is quite satisfactory, especially since the outlay is 
small, and practical experience is thus gained on cheap birds. 
The use of an incubator is not recommended in the beginning 
under average farm conditions, and plans for installing an in- 
cubator should not be made until the flock is of sufficient size 
to produce within a week or ten days the number of eggs re- 
quired by the capacity of the machine. It is unwise to hold 
the eggs longer than a week or ten days before setting, and in 
hot weather even less time should be allowed. (3) A start 
with pure blood may also be made by securing day old chicks 
from some reliable breeder whom you know to have healthy 
stock. In this case, broody hens or some kind of chick hover 
and brooder must be provided to care for the chicks. Or one 
may begin by buying six or eight-weeks-old pullets, these be- 
ing practically past the danger period, and the male birds may 
be added when ready to use for breeding purposes. 

The greatest care should be used to secure eggs or foundation 
stock from breeders who breed only from healthy birds. Consti- 
tutional vigor is more important than any other one factor in 
the selection of breeding stock. Never buy birds or eggs 
from diseased flocks. All things being equal, if you can find 
the kind of stock you want, it is better to buy in your own 
neighborhood where you can know just what the breeding stock 
is. The idea that pure-bred stock cannot be raised satisfactor- 
ily on the farm has long since been disproved. Pure-bred 
birds require no greater care, no better housing, and no more 
feed than should be given to scrub stock for best rsults. Good 
stock will give better returns for the same care, and because 
of the owner's pride in them, the better breeds are more likely 
to receive the attention which will give the most satisfactory 



10 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

returns. It is folly to keep hens which lay only forty or fifty 
eggs per year when reasonable prices will buy good stock that 
will produce three or four times this number. Occasionally a 
scrub hen may be a good layer, but as a rule scrub chickens 
are poor egg producers, and besides they have not the power 
to transmit the heavy laying quality to their offspring. 

No. 3. One of the egg and meat breeds, called American 
breeds, such as the Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, or 
Wyandottes, is usually to be preferred for farm conditions. 
Strains of the American breeds have given as high egg yields 
as the Leghorns, Minorcas, and other Mediterranean breeds, 
and they furnish much better carcasses for the table or the 
market, either as broilers or roasters. However, well-bred fowls 
of the Mediteranean or English breeds are highly desirable. 
It is important to secure a good strain of whatever breed you 
choose, for there are great differences in strains of the same 
breed. Some strains of Leghorns, for example, have averaged 
over 200 eggs per year per hen, while other Leghorns will ave- 
rage hardly half that yield. 

No. 4. If a basket of eggs from a mixed flock is sent to 
the market it will contain some white eggs, some brown, and 
some cream colored. There is a great variety of sizes and 
shapes. This lack of uniformity is unattractive and tends to 
bring down the price. If the farmer had sent a basket of all 
white eggs or all brown eggs of uniform size, he would have 
received a better price for his product. To obtain these good 
prices, the farmers should have but one breed of chickens on 
his farm. Then he would have a flock in which he would 
take much pride and give them good attention. The eggs pro- 
duced from such birds would be all of the same color, size and 
shape, and when marketed the customers would be better pleased, 
since uniformity is usually much desired. 

When any live or dressed poultry is to be sold, the market 
shows a very great preference for a uniform product. A lot of 
yellow skin birds or white skin birds is much more desirable 
than is a mixture of both. In the marketing of live birds, 
either young or old, a one-color lot causes the buyer to feel 
that they must be raised by a person who takes good care of 
his stock, and to pay for them accordingly. It is very easy 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 11 

to feed and house a flock of one breed, as their needs and wants 
are alike. To get the best results from a flock, the poultry- 
man should study the needs and requirements of breeds. If 
he has but one breed, his work in this respect is reduced to a 
minimum. For the same reason, it is easy to rear and develop 
chicks of one breed. In hatching, again excellent results are 
obtained. The eggs not only hatch more uniformly, but bet- 
ter and more vigorous chicks are produced, due to the excellent 
care given the flock because the raiser of one breed naturally 
takes a great interest in his stock. 

No. 5. As long as farmers keep small flocks they will take 
little interest in them, and the income from them will be very 
small. From observations in different sections the rule seems 
to be, the smaller the flock the less interest there is in poultry 
and the more mixed and mongrel is the flock. Flocks smaller 
than seventy-five are not considered as commercial enterprises, 
or important enough to receive proper care. With a flock of 
one hundred hens the owner is likely to take care of them, 
provide a comfortable, convenient house, feed and attend to 
them properly and regularly. The returns from such a flock 
will indeed be very profitable, the number of eggs will be 
large and can be sold to appreciative buyers. The flock should 
be pure-bred, because chickens, like all other forms of live- 
stock, do best when properly and carefully bred. A pure-bred 
flock of 150 good producers, properly handled, is worth more 
to a farmer than five bales of cotton at ten cents per pound. 

No. 6. The three common systems of poultry farming which 
may be successful on a general farm or a poultry farm are: 

The "Community" system, in which the birds are all housed 
under one roof in large flocks. These houses are permanent 
and usually of the long house type. This method is most econ- 
omical of buildings and labor. The main disadvantage being 
the rapid spread of disease if once introduced. 

"Semi- Community" is another system very similar to the 
Community method, the birds being housed in somewhat 
smaller houses grouped close together. More land and labor 
are required but the congestion is relieved somewhat. 

The "Colony" system is a method of dividing the birds into 
small flocks of twenty or thirty and housing them in small 



12 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

colony houses scattered about the farm. The birds have the 
maximum amount of range and this method is very desirable 
and can be used where orchards are available, locating the 
houses through such orchards. The colony system necessitates 
the greatest expense for housing and labor, usually gives good 
results but not enough better to make up for the extra expense. 

No. 7. If 100 or more eggs are to be hatched during the 
hatching season, then an incubator is desirable. Where 100 
or more hens are kept it will usually be much more econom- 
ical to hatch with an incubator rather than with setting hens. 
In such a flock half the number should be renewed each year. 
That means that 50 or more pullets should go into winter quar- 
ters in the fall. To produce 50 or 75 pullets means the setting 
of at least 300 eggs. If 60 per cent of these eggs hatch there 
will be 180 chicks to start with and usually 75 per cent of 
those, or 140, are reared to maturity. Of these 140; one-half, 
or 70, are pullets and all these pullets will not be good ones. 
So that ordinarily 300 eggs or more must be hatched. To 
hatch these under hens would mean the services and care of a 
great number of chickens, while two hatches in a 150 egg in- 
cubator would care for them easily. 

When fowls are raised to be marketed alive as meat it is 
desirable that they be hatched and reared in good sized flocks, 
and at as near the same time as possible, thus minimizing the 
cost of feed and labor. For this reason an incubator can be 
used to advantage even though the flock is small. 

No. 8. As soon as hatching is complete remove all un- 
hatched eggs and egg shells. Leave chicks in the machine for 
eighteen to forty-eight hours longer. Open ventilators to give 
plenty of fresh air and lower temperature of incubator to 95 
to 100 degrees F. This is to harden the chicks. When the 
chicks are hatched they contain the yolk of the egg in their 
body, which supplies them with food for from twelve to fifty- 
two hours. For this reason no other food is necessary until 
this food has been absorbed. 

No. 9. (1) Provide fine grit, charcoal, shell and bone from 
the start. (2) Give grass range or plenty of green food. (3) 
Have fresh, clean water always available. (4) Feed only 
sweet, wholesome foods. (5) Avoid damp and soiled litter. 
(6) Disinfect brooders frequently. (7) Feed no spoiled meat 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 13 

products. (8) Keep chicks active by allowing to become 
hungry once daily. (9) Feed moist mash sparingly. (10) 
Keep dry mash always before the chicks. 

No. 10. Capons are castrated male birds. This operation con- 
sists in removing the sex organs, and should be done when 
the birds are eight to twelve weeks old. This operation is 
performed for the same reason that we castrate pigs and calves. 

No. 11. (1) Larger and heavier fowls at killing time. (2) 
Sweeter meat of finer "flavor. (3) A much higher selling 
price. (4) A lower cost, due to ease of fattening. (5) A 
more docile disposition and better endurance of close confine- 
ment. (6) Can be used when desirable for hovering young 
chicks. 

Nos. 12 and 13. (5) In the mild climate of Texas, elaborate 
and expensive hen houses are not necessary. Almost every farm 
has some unused building or shed that can easily be converted 
into a very serviceable poultry house. A water-tight shed roof 
with adequate wind-proof walls on the north, west, and east 
sides is sufficient. A house 20 feet long by 14 feet wide, with 
front wall 7 feet high and the rear wall 4% feet, will furnish 
adequate room for a flock of 100 birds. Such a house is shown 
in Figures 1 and 2. Have the roof slope to the north and cover 
the front or south side with chicken wire only. Place the 
roosts at the rear, and have roosts and nests removable for 
cleaning. Do not put one roost above another, as all the chick- 
ens will want to crowd to the highest roosts. If the house is 
built of very light material, in those sections of the state where 
there is much stormy wind, it may sometimes be well to anchor 
it to a few posts placed securely in the ground to prevent its 
being blown over. Protection from the hot summer sun is as 
important as protection from the cold winter winds. Plant 
castor beans and sunflowers around the place for quick shade, and 
fruit trees for permanent shade. 

The floor should be raised at least six inches above the out- 
side level, in order that it may remain dry in wet weather. 
A concrete floor is best, but an earth floor may be used 
by replacing the top two or three inches of soil once or 
twice a year. If the location is low or flat, the house should 
be filled in with earth to a depth of eight or more inches. It is 



14 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 



advisable to keep the floor of the house covered with cheap 
hay, pine straw, leaves, or other litter into which the grain may 
be thrown to keep the hens working. Never use mouldy ma- 
terial for this purpose. The litter should be removed at least 
once a month or oftener if badly mixed with droppings or 
damp from continued wet weather. 

Scattering acid phosphate over the litter and under the roost 



As, Fa-pe-r, 




Figure No. 1. — The above house, 14x20 feet, will accommodate 
100 hens. The nests shown are alike in both ends of the house. 
More can be added if sixteen prove insu. . cient. The concrete floor 
is not necessary' but highly desirable. The front should face south. 
The back and the west end should be boarded up. The east end 
and front should be made of woven wire only, except in the very 
cold sections of the state. For a flock of 30 to 45 fowls, the roosts 
may be reduced to three and the size of the house to 10x12 or 
12x12 feet. Dropping beards may be added if desired. 




Figure No. 2. — Shows construction of front of poultry house. 



twice a week will give splendid results in the way of deodoriz- 
ing and keeping down mites, besides improving the value of the 
manure for fertilizing. The same powder may be used under 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 15 

the litter in the nest and likewise under the litter in the hovers 
for baby chicks. Painting the roost with kerosene and crude 
carbolic acid, especially at the points where they rest on the 
supports, will aid in getting rid of mites where they are bad. 

No. 14. Under ordinary farm conditions, in raising poultry 
for home use, the cheapest thing to do is to fence the garden 
and allow the chickens to run free. Hens on the open range 
get most of their food in summer, and a good share of it in 
winter. They are destroyers of farm insects and distributors of 
fertilizer. 

However, there are some disadvantages in having chickens 
run at large: (1) Chickens are scavengers, and privy vaults 
and such filth should be screened from them if they run at 
large. When free, they drink polluted water, and feed on dead 
carcasses and other sources of filth, which not only lower their 
physical vigor but often produce disease and death. (2) If 
they run at large, they are likely to roost in exposed places 
and be injured by weather or predatory animals. When fowls 
run free, they should be fed in the poultry house so that they 
will make their residence there instead of around and in the 
barn and dwelling house. (3) When chickens are at large 
they are often injured by stock, especially by hogs. This is 
largely due to the fact that many farmers feel that the chickens 
should obtain all their own food. Feeding the chickens a little 
both morning and evening eliminates this trouble somewhat 
so that the chickens do not go to the hog pens or get in the 
way of feeding sows. 

No. 15. (1) Breeding only from birds of vigorous consti- 
tutions. 

(2) A system of poultry management which is thoroughly 
hygienic: (a) Cleanliness of houses and yards, (b) Thorough 
and frequent disinfection, (c) Plenty of fresh air and light 
in the poultry houses, (d) Avoid dampness, (e) Provide 
clean and dry litter, (f) Do not allow land to become con- 
taminated. Rotate crops on land with poultry, (g) Burn all 
dead birds at once, (h) Isolate all sick birds, (i) Keep 
fowls free from lice, mites, and all external parasites. 

(3) Hygienic feeding: (a) Feed pure feeds, avoid musty 
and moldy grain, table scraps which have spoiled, decayed 



16 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

fruits and vegetables, (b) Keep all utensils clean, (c) Avoid 
overfeeding, (d) Provide plenty of green food, (e) Provide 
fresh and clean drinking water, (f ) Make fowls exercise for 
food. 

No. 16. Diseases are most commonly spread among fowls 
in the following ways: (1) By introducing new birds from 
unhealthy flocks. Sore head and insect pests are often started 
in this way. (2) If the drinking pans and feed hoppers get 
infected with contagion, the whole flock is exposed. (3) Rats 
are carriers of disease and insects. . Beware of them. Often 
the same is true of sparrows. (4) Careless management. 
(5) By visiting infected flocks and poultry yards and then 
going into your own without cleaning your clothing and shoes. 

Prevention is the best cure. Disease always weakens vital- 
ity. Birds that have once been sick are never desirable breed- 
ers. For this reason it is well to keep the watering pans and 
feed hoppers clean at all times. Keep clean litter on the floors 
and in the nests. Filth always harbors insects and disease. 

Should disease break out among the chickens, separate those 
that are sick. Burn the bodies of the dead ones. In bad cases 
clean and disinfect the entire house, removing all straw from 
nests and burning all refuse. Plenty of sunshine and ventila- 
tion are of great importance. Disinfect with one part of crude 
carbolic acid to three parts of kerosene oil. Other good dis- 
infecting soultions are a fifty per cent solution of Zenoleum or 
Kreso dip. Poultry houses and equipment should be regularly 
and • thoroughly disinfected once each month throughout the 
year. Scald the feed hoppers and water pans. First, give the 
bird epsom salts, either in a moist mash or in drinking water, 
and next day put a very small quantity of permanganate of 
potash in the drinking water, just enough to turn it a light red 
color. In this weak solution the permanganate of potash will 
not hurt the chickens but will destroy the germs. Give the 
salts at rate of one-third teaspoonful to an adult chicken. 

No. 17. Bluebugs, fleas, lice, and mites are the summer in- 
sect pests. Sparrows often bring mites and lice. Bluebugs are 
frequently introduced by fowls from other flocks. Before in- 
troducing a new bird into your flock, if in a region where 
fowl ticks, or bluebugs, are prevalent, quarantine the birds ten 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 17 

days, as this procedure will practically free the bird of ticks 
or bluebugs. The adult ticks feed on the bird only at night 
time, so that during the day the birds are free from them. The 
small seed ticks remain on the birds both day and night and so 
gorge themselves that at the end of ten days they drop off and 
are also matured then. Therefore, quarantining for ten days 
practically frees the bird from all ticks. All new birds should 
be thoroughly dusted with some good lice powder such as that 
given below and thoroughly examined to be sure that they 
are free from all external parasites: 

Mites can be easily prevented by the proper use of acid phos- 
phate. For lice, grease very lightly the top of head and be- 
neath the wings of the little ones, or dust with a small portion 
of lice powder. A good cheap lice powder is made as follows : 

14 pint crude carbolic acid, mixed 1 with % pint of gasoline ; 
stir thoroughly into 2% pounds of plaster of paris. 

The whole is forced through a sieve to break the lumps and 
then allowed to dry in the air. When dry it is tightly bottled 
and will remain effective indefinitely. To apply this powder 
the fowl is held by the legs with its head down. In this posi- 
tion the feathers fall away from the body and readily receive 
the powder, making it easy to work it down to the skin by 
ruffling the feathers with the hand. This treatment is espe- 
cially recommended for setting hens. 

Mites suck the blood at night and return to the perches be- 
fore morning, remaining there during the day. The mite is 
killed by a direct application of a burning solution. A solu- 
tion of % pi n t crude carbolic acid and % pint of kerosene has 
been found very destructive. It is sprayed all over the perches, 
dropping board and different parts of the house. 

For bluebugs, in extreme cases, dip the chickens in any good 
sheep or hog dip, thoroughly clean out the house and nests 
and spray the roosts, walls, floors, and nests with kerosene 
and carbolic acid mixture. Be careful not to strangle chickens 
with the dip. Hold their bills closed when their heads are im- 
mersed. 

No. 18. Ration for Baby Chicks: 8 pts. by weight, bread 
crumbs; 8 pts. by weight, rolled oats; 2 pts. by weight, meat 
scraps, sifted ; 1 pt. by weight, bone meal. This mixture should 



18 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 



be moistened with sour skim milk or buttermilk and five times a 
day during first five days, the chicks should be fed as much of it 
as they will eat up clean in ten minutes. Fine charcoal and fine 
chick grit, together with shredded green food, are sprinkled over 
this mash. A little finely cracked wheat and finely cracked milo 
or kafir may be fed lightly scattered through the litter. 

Ration after First Week. 1 part wheat bran; 1 part wheat 
short; 1 part milo meal; 1 part meat scraps. After 
fifth day or first week feed this mash moistened with sour milk 
or buttermilk three times a day. Also place it before cihcks dry 
during the day. Feed grain as before, scattered through 
litter. Feed this way for two weeks. After two weeks feed 
same ration, only feed it moist once or twice a day and have it 
dry always before them. Feed grain same as previously. 

After chicks are 8 to 12 weeks old the wet mash may be 
eliminated entirely and dry mash kept before them all the 
time. A grain mixture of wheat and whole milo should also 
be kept before them all the time in a self-feeding hopper. 
Continue this method until matured. See question 9. 





Figure No. 3. — Shows isometric view and end elevation of a use- 
ful home-made hopper for dry feed, shell, and charcoal. 



No. 19. In feeding for growth and egg production, a large 
proportion of protein and mineral are required in the ration. 
Such food as meat scraps, milk, and cottonseed meal are rich 
in protein. In a properly made laying ration, the proportion 
of protein to carbohydrates and fats should be as 1 is to 4 and 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 



19 



6. Wheat and its products, especially bran, contain much more 
protein than corn and the other grains. Corn, kaffir, milo, 
and feteria are starchy foods and produce excessive fat when 
fed in considerable quantities. For egg production, strengthen 
the protein element and do not give too much of the starchy 
fat-producing grains. Wheat bran is a desirable egg food. 
There are many good feeding mixtures in use for laying hens. 
The following is a very good ration: 50 lbs. wheat shorts; 
70 lbs. milo meal; 40 lbs. wheat bran; 40 lbs. meat scraps. 
This is a dry mash and should be fed in a hopper available 




Figure No. 4. — The device at the left consists of a galvanized iron 
soup plate into which an ordinary Mason fruit jar is screwed so that 
the water or food in the jar constantly feeds down into the plate 
as fast as it is used up. This plate costs about ten cents. The 
other two devices are easily made at home and are very useful in 
keeping the food and water clean. 

to the birds all day. This is the egg producing part of the 
ration. This should be supplemented by a grain ration com- 
posed of a mixture of corn chops and whole milo or whole milo 
alone. In the above ration 80 lbs. of cottonseed meal may be 
substituted for the 40 lbs. of meat scraps. When fowls are to 
be fattened, restrict the exercise and feed the starchy foods. 
Give them plenty of clean sour milk if it can be had. Sour 
milk makes the best meat food, induces egg production and 
goes a long way toward keeping hens healthy. 

A perfectly balanced all-purpose ration should include some 
protein, some starch, some mineral and some green food. The 
green food is especially valuable as an appetizer and tonic. 
Peanuts when chopped up, vine and all, make a very good ration. 

In summer, when there is plenty of green food and insects on 



20 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

the range, feed lightly with some form of grain in the morning 
and evening, making the evening somewhat the heavier meal. 
In winter it is always necessary to supply some green food. 
This can be provided by alfalfa, rape, Swiss chard, or a small 
patch of wheat or oats for winter chicken pasture. In sections 
of the state in which there is no winter pasturing at all green 
food in form of cabbage, beets, and sprouted oats may be 
provided. 

Exercise is also essential to laying. For this reason, it is 
often well to scatter grain in a small amount of liter on the 
ground so the hens will be obliged to scratch for it. 

For laying hens, it is well at all times to keep wheat bran, 
or a dry mash of bran, corn meal, shorts, and cottonseed meal 
where they can feed upon it at will. Also, gravel, crushed 
oyster shells, ground bone, or crushed limestone and crushed 
wood charcoal should be kept where they can be got at all 
times. The gravels aid in grinding the solid food in the giz- 
zards of the fowls and make digestion possible. The lime from 
the oyster shells and other sources furnishes the substance for 
the formation of the egg shell. The charcoal at times helps 
digestion. 

Do not neglect the water. Give your chickens plenty of clean, 
fresh water three times a day in warm weather and twice a day 
in cold weather. Wash the water pans every day and scald at 
least once a week to kill bacteria and prevent disease. 

No. 20. (a) If you have no poultry, or have only scrub 
stock, get a start from high producing flocks by one of the 
methods that have been suggetsed. There are flocks of pure- 
bred chickens that average over 200 eggs per hen per year. 
There are flocks on Texas farms that average over twelve dozen 
eggs per hen per year. Scrub hens, as a rule, are not good 
layers no matter how well they are fed and cared for. 

(2) Give the ration that a laying hen needs. Good care and 
good stock must go together to get good results. See that your 
hens are well sheltered, not too fat, and get plenty of exercise. 
Then if your average egg production is not satisfactory, sepa- 
rate those you think are not laying and see how many eggs you 
get from them. If they prove to be poor layers kill or sell them. 

(b) External characters to be considered in selecting laying 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 21 

stock. The following features are associated with the possi- 
bility of heavy production. Always keep in mind breed shape 
or type: (1) Width of body — to allow ample room for the 
digestive and reproductive organs. (2) Depth of body — for 
same reason as No. 1. (3) A rather long body carried high 
in front and low behind, with the large part of the body back 
of the leg joint. (4) Neck medium in length and rather full 
hackle. (5) Tail carried rather high showing vigor. (6) 
Head medium, comb and wattles large, and well colored. (7) 
Body V-shaped when viewed from side, top, and rear. (8) 
Close, compact feathering, and short, stout beak, with bright 
eyes. (9) Legs rather short and wide spread. (10) Good size. 

(c) Breeding for egg production: (1) Keep only pure- 
bred birds. (2) Breed from heavy producers and consistent 
layers, (3) Breed from mature birds. (4) Practice line 
breeding. (5) Breed from birds that were early producers as 
pullets. (6) Breed from late molters. (7) Breed from heavy 
eaters. (8) Breed from early risers and late retirers. (9) 
Practice proper management. (10) Breed from birds of high 
constitutional vigor, which means health, activity and vitality. 

For scientific purposes each hen is numbered by a leg band, 
and the trap nest is used. These nests are so constructed 
that when the hen enters the nest the door closes and she 
can not get out again until released by some person. By this 
means poultry breeders are enabled to keep individual lay- 
ing records and the full pedigree of their stock. Since these 
nests require an attendant to release the birds at frequent in- 
tervals, they are not desirable on the ordinary farm, but where 
desirable are very valuable. 

If you wish a high average production, do not keep hens that 
have grown too old to be useful. As hens grow old their lay- 
ing ability decreases at the rate of about 25 per cent per year. 
Ordinarily hens over two years old should not be kept. Hens 
four years old are past their period of usefulness as layers. 
Leg band the pullets this year on the right leg and next year 
on the left and so on. By altering this way there will be no 
difficulty in identifying the old birds. 

No. 21. Hatch your layers in March or April. If hatched 
too early, they will molt in the fall and continue molting 



22 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

through the winter, seriously hindering winter laying. Late 
pullets, on the other hand, do not usually have the constitu- 
tional vigor of early ones and hence do not lay so well through 
the winter. Hatch from good layers only. Feed well when 
young, provide good range, keep free of insects and protect 
from too much hot sunshine. In winter, protect from cold and 
rain, and feed as suggested in No. 19. 

No. 22. In this climate, during the hot summer months, eggs 
should be gathered as soon after they are laid as possible and 
kept in a cool place until used. Particularly is this true of fer- 
tile eggs. At a temperature above 60 degrees, the chick germ 
in the fertile egg soon begins to develop and spoils the egg. 
For this reason infertile eggs are preferable. This is espe- 
cially necessary in warm weather. 

Infertile eggs may be secured by keeping the male birds sep- 
arate from the laying hens. This does not decrease the num- 
ber of eggs produced, but the eggs produced then do not con- 
tain a fertilized chick germ, and hence keep better. These 
eggs, of course, cannot be used for hatching. 

No. 23. (1) The condition of the interior of an egg can be 
determined by holding it near a flame or a bright light directly 
in front of the eye. A fresh egg will have a very light-colored, 
indistinct yolk when examined in this way. Eggs that show 
blood rings or other discolorations either contain partially de- 
veloped embryos or are otherwise spoiled. 

(2) An egg-tester can be made in an inexpensive way by 
placing a kerosene lamp inside of a shoe box stood on end, 
with a hole somewhat smaller than an egg cut in what was the 
bottom of the box, but is now the side, directly opposite the 
flame, and with a hole cut in the end above the top of the 
lamp for ventilation. Place the egg against the opening in the 
side, and the illumination from the lamp within will show 
whether the egg is in proper condition. Only by testing, or 
candling each egg can you guarantee your eggs to be in prime 
condition. Hotels, restaurants, grocers, and private homes will 
pay top prices for such eggs. (See figure 5.) 

(The teacher should have some boy or girl make an egg- 
tester and bring it to school with a dozen eggs for experimen- 
tation next week. Have on hand a number of fertile and in- 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 



23 



fertile eggs. If possible, set some eggs for a few days before 
and. have on hand some that have been incubated one day. 
three days, five days, and seven days. This will very strikingly 
demonstrate why infertile eggs are preferable. After showing 
the egg before the candle, break it into a saucer for further 




Figure 5. — The above tester is made easily from an old cardboard 
shoe box by cutting one hole in the side or bottom of the box large 
enough to admit an egg but not let it pass through, and cutting 
another hole in the end of the box to allow the lamp or candle to 
burn freely. 

study. Also ask those present to state other methods that they 
use for testing eggs. There are many others.) 

No. 24. One of the best methods of preserving eggs on a small 
scale is in sodium silicate, or water glass, which can be pur- 
chased at almost any drug store for one dollar per gallon. 
Dissolve one quart of water glass in ten quarts of water that has 
been boiled and cooled. Mix very thoroughly and pour the 



24 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

solution into a sterilized stone jar. Put in this jar none but 
infertile, naturally clean, fresh, uncracked eggs. If one egg 
should be bad, it will spoil all the rest. Cover the jar and keep 
it in a dark, cool place, preferably in the storm cellar, if you 
have one. The temperature should never be higher than sixty 
degrees. As the water in the jar evaporates, replace it by 
more cool water that has been boiled. Always keep the liquid 
two inches above the last row of eggs. Unless this is done 
properly and the eggs and glass are kept cool the results will 
not be satisfactory. The taste in this case is slightly affected 
but not enough to prevent the use of the eggs on the table. 
Eggs may be kept several weeks or even months by packing 
them down when perfectly fresh in clean, dry salt and setting 
in a cool place. 

No. 25. (1) Immature or extremely aged breeding stock, 
the former being the more common cause. (2) Insufficient 
time between mating and saving of eggs for hatching. (3) 
Weakened vitality of the breeding stock. (4) Excessively fat 
breeders. (5) Insufficient exercise. (6) Lack of green food. 
(7) Lack of sufficient animal protein. (8) Excess of females 
to one male. (9) Unsuitable environment. 

Selecting eggs for hatching: (1) Sort eggs immediately 
after collecting. (2) Select eggs uniform in type, shade, size, 
and color; discarding all that are cracked, extremely dirty, 
badly shaped, or that have a rough, thin, or irregular shell. 
(3) Extremely small or exceptionally large eggs should not 
be used. 

No. 26. (1) Cull the growing stock. (2) House the lay- 
ing stock properly. (3) Provide plenty of clean nests. (4) 
Peed properly. (5) Gather the eggs regularly. (6) Clean all 
dirty eggs at once. (7) Dispose of cracked and broken eggs 
quickly. (8) Keep the eggs in a cool and rather moist place. 
(9) Build a private trade. (10) Pack eggs carefully. (11) 
Have regular customers. (12) Sell regularly. (13) Candle 
all eggs before marketing. (14) Separate males after the 
breeding season. (15) Continually plan to improve your 
market. 



Discussion of Poultry on the Farm 25 



For fuller information on poultry, consult the following bulletins, 

which may be had free on request from the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture, Washington, D. C: 

Poultry Management Farmers' Bulletin No. 287 

Poultry Raising " " No. 237 

Standard Varieties of Chickens No. 51 

Healthy Poultry " " No. 305 

Method of Feeding Poultry " " No. 24 4 

Animal Matter a Necessity for Poultry. . " " No. 97 

Mineral Matter for Chickens " " No. 22 5 

Ground Grain vs. Whole Grain for 

Chickens " " No. 94 

Skim Milk for Young Chickens " " No. 8 4 

Water Pans for Fowls " " No. 317 

The Gape Disease of Chickens " " No. 

Construction and Ventilation of Poultry 

Houses ' " " No. 227 

The Number of Laying Hens That May 

Be Profitably Kept in the Pen " " No. 114 

Roosting Closet for Poultry " " No. 499 

A Successful Brooder House. . " " No. 22 5 

Producing Early Molting Hens " " No. 186 

Forced Molting " " No. 412 

The Chicken Mite " " No. 190 

Keeping Poultry Free from Lice No. 435 

Incubator and Incubators " No. 236 

Natural and Artificial Incubation for 

Chickens " " No. 585 

Causes of Death of Young Chicks " " No. 309 

A Fresh Air Brooder " " No. 49 9 

Rations for Laying Hens " " No. 18 6 

The Marketing of Eggs " " No. 405 

Selling Eggs by Weight " " No. 12 2 

Cost of Eggs in Winter " " No. 190 

Preservation of Eggs " " No. 3 53 

Preserving Eggs in Waterglass No. 296 

Fertility of Eggs " " No. 251 

Fertility and Hatching of Eggs " " No. 405 

Poultry Manure " " No. 384 

Marketing Eggs Through the Creamery. " " No. 445 

Shipping Eggs by Parcels Post No. 594 

Poultry House Construction " No. 574 

Important Poultry Diseases " No. 530 

The Fowl Tick " . " No. 170 

Natural and Artificial Incubation of Hens 

Eggs " " No. 585 



26 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

Hints to Poultry Raisers " " No. 528 

The Community Egg Circle " " No. 656 

A System of Poultry Accounting, Bureau of Animal Industry Cir. 176 

Mites and Lice on Poultry Bureau of Entomology Cir. 92 

Suggestions on Poultry Raising for the Southern Farmer (Special) 

OTHER BULLETINS 

Increasing the Winter Yield of Eggs, Bulletin No. 219, Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pa. 

Feeding and Management of Poultry for Egg Production, Bulletin 
No. 211, A. and M. College, West Raleigh, N. C. 

Poultry Experiments, West Virginia Bulletin No. 115, Ag. Exper. 
Sta., Morgantown, W. Vo. 

Extension Bulletin No. 10, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. 

Constitutional Vigor, Cornell University Bulletin, 345 and 318, 
Ithica, N. Y. 

The Interior Quality of Market Eggs, Cornell University Bulletin 
353, Ithica, N. Y. 

Essentials of Profitable Egg Production, New Jersey Bulletin No. 
244, New Brunskick, N. J. 

Diversified Poultry Farming, Circular No. 32, Ag. Exper. Sta., 
New Brunskick, N. J. 

Common Diseases of Poultry, North Carolina A. and M. College, 
No. 233, W. Raleigh, N. C. 

The Farm Poultry Breeding Flock, Iowa Extension Bulletin No. 
19, A. and M. College, Ames, Iowa. 

Write Professor T. J. Conway of the A. and M. College, College 
Station, Texas, or Professor Kazmeier, Department of Extension, The 
A. and M. College, College Station, Texas, for other bulletins and for 
expert advice on anything pertaining to poultry raising. 



O 



o 

-t-> 

O 



REPORT OF SCHOOLHOUSE MEETING 

(Send this report, immediately after the meeting, to A. Caswell 
Ellis, Director of Extension, the University of Texas, Austin, 
Texas, and the programs and questions for the following meeting' 
will be sent to you by return mail. Nothing further will be sent 
until the report is received.) 

1. Name of school, County ._ 

2. Principal of School, 

3. Postoffice Address of Principal, 

4. Name of Chairman of Meeting, 

5. Postoffice Address of Chairman of Meeting, ._ 

6. Name of Secretary of Meeting, 

7. Postoffice Address of Secretary of Meeting, 

8. Date of Meeting, 

9. Sub j ect of Discussion, 

10. Number present : Women Men „... 

11. Probable number that will attend next meeting, „ 



12. Comments and Suggestions: (Was there much discus- 
sion ? Was the meeting helpful ? Will any practical movement 
or organization come from it ? Do any wish to study the matter 
further? Can we help in any way?) 



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